Straight Lesbians Want Their Identity Back

Natives Of Greek Island Of Lesbos Want Gay Group To Stop Using The Word InTheir Title

(AP)  A Greek court has been asked to draw the line between the natives of the Aegean Sea island of Lesbos and the world's gay women.

Three islanders from Lesbos - home of the ancient poet Sappho, who praised love between women - have taken a gay rights group to court for using the word lesbian in its name.

One of the plaintiffs said Wednesday that the name of the association, Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, "insults the identity" of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians.

"My sister can't say she is a Lesbian," said Dimitris Lambrou. "Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos," he said.

The three plaintiffs are seeking to have the group barred from using "lesbian" in its name and filed a lawsuit on April 10. The other two plaintiffs are women.

Also called Mytilene, after its capital, Lesbos is famed as the birthplace of Sappho. The island is a favored holiday destination for gay women, particularly the lyric poet's reputed home town of Eressos.

"This is not an aggressive act against gay women," Lambrou said. "Let them visit Lesbos and get married and whatever they like. We just want (the group) to remove the word lesbian from their title."

He said the plaintiffs targeted the group because it is the only officially registered gay group in Greece to use the word lesbian in its name. The case will be heard in an Athens court on June 10.

Sappho lived from the late 7th to the early 6th century B.C. and is considered one of the greatest poets of antiquity. Many of her poems, written in the first person and intended to be accompanied by music, contain passionate references to love for other women.

Lambrou said the word lesbian has only been linked with gay women in the past few decades. "But we have been Lesbians for thousands of years," said Lambrou, who publishes a small magazine on ancient Greek religion and technology that frequently criticizes the Christian Church.

Very little is known of Sappho's life. According to some ancient accounts, she was an aristocrat who married a rich merchant and had a daughter with him. One tradition says that she killed herself by jumping off a cliff over an unhappy love affair.

Lambrou says Sappho was not gay. "But even if we assume she was, how can 250,000 people of Lesbian descent - including women - be considered homosexual?"

The Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece could not be reached for comment.

[honestabe8]

Also, Singinrick: What does this story have to do with "...the immoral push from secularist anti-Bible people who want nothing more than to see God''''s absolute laws thrown out of this world"? This just has to do with straight women not wanting to be associated with lesbians. Is that not right in your book? Do you want to be associated with gay men? If not, then it is the same thing. If so, then go to Rome and join the priesthood.

[honestabe8]

Gosh, libagenda (singinrick), you are such a pompous blowhard. Do you have a persecution complex? It''s always the ungodly atheists and secularists you fear. For what? Wanting to keep religion separate from government?

[algoresarse]

When I was in school years ago the wors g a y meant happiness.
Mow it means same gender males
The ladies have alway been called lesbian if they are homosexual. What are they to be called..


Posted by MichelleM99 at 09:49 PM : Apr 30, 2008
+ report abuse

**well give it time..most liberals are very creative when it comes to handing out names...

[cbsguest6]

A box of yummy Dunkin'' Donuts is the answer to most problems in life:)

[nordeck52]

What''s with all the people commenting about donuts?? I don''t get it. o.0

And for the record, I side with the islanders here.

[cbsguest6]

You know what I think would be funny is if Sappho had been taken out of context all these years. And what her message was a form of feminism and not necessarily intimate relations between other women.

[ontheleft]

It''s easy enough for me to tell the difference between a lesbian and a Lesbian. A proper noun is always capitalized.

[mythoughtsr]

Well I would be embarrassed too! I wouldn''t want to be associated with those gay freaks! I hope they win. Man and woman, it''s the only combination that FITS.

[shanev137]

How about just officially calling them carpet munchers.

[nothappyatall]

LOL the craziest lawsuit Ive seen yet, I don''t THINK you can win in a suit against using the public name of a COUNTRY''S inhabitants!!!

Imagine suing to prevent people from using the word "American" as a group name, like American Detal Association being sued because people dont want the association with bad breath and America.

[michellem99-2009]

When I was in school years ago the wors g a y meant happiness.
Mow it means same gender males
The ladies have alway been called lesbian if they are homosexual. What are they to be called..

[amazing_g]

Wow, a new oxymoron, the first two words in the title, for my list!

[sbcarlosm]

I''m a male lesbian. I love women.

[klingon69]

Hey MORON then you can explain to your 6-year old that straight folk HAVE babies that turn out to be gay - so if you want to get rid of the alternative folk then tell your straight folk to quit having gay babies!
Posted by simonsez40 at 03:46 PM : Apr 30, 2008
So, when they discover the gene, strand...etc, that causes people to be gay, the parents can then abort the presumably future homosexual child?

[gce65]

How about a compromise? Island residents can call themselves Lesbosians and gay women can call themselves slit lickers!

[southpaw65]

Notice that if you use blanks for the last three letters of "dogsoul", the result is "dogs---". Then you can fill them back in again, with the obviously more appropriate substitutions.

(I don''t normally resort to such vulgarities, but I''ve observed that it''s the parlance which dogsoul/dogs--- best understands.)

[cbsguest6]

WOOOOO HOOOOO! The Dunkin'' Donut ad is back!

[cbsguest6]

Ouuuuuu donuts...

[randynason]

Maybe I should move over there. I''m homosexual but some days I wake up and I feel like a lesbian. That''s some better than being a Republican, I guess.

[cbsguest6]

Yummy Dunkin'' Donuts...